Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

NORWEGIAN CITIZENSHIP

The most common mistakes when applying for Norwegian citizenship 

Applying for Norwegian citizenship is a lengthy and convoluted process. Plenty of common pitfalls could sour your dream of becoming a citizen of Norway. Here are some of the most frequent problems. 

Published: 25 April 2023 17:02 CEST
Updated: 13 February 2024 13:58 CET
Pictured is a person on a boat in Norway.
If you are applying for Norwegian citizenship, try and steer clear of these mistakes. Pictured is a person on a boat in Norway. Photo by Alicja Gancarz on Unsplash

Norwegian citizenship has several fantastic benefits, especially if you plan on holding dual citizenship.

However, becoming a fully-fledged citizen is no walk in the park, with some routes being longer and more complex than others. 

If you are considering applying, you’ll want to ensure that your application is watertight and that you have a complete understanding of the process to avoid it taking any longer than necessary or having it rejected. 

Thinking it will be relatively quick

It can take around 24 months and, in some cases, much longer to be granted Norwegian citizenship. 

The process is just as much about patience than money (for the application fee) or logistical mastery. Ultimately, if you go into the process expecting a quick turnaround for a Norwegian passport, you’ll be left frustrated and disappointed. 

On the flip side, understanding it’ll be a long road (on top of how many years you’ve lived in Norway) should make the long waiting times somewhat easier to bear. 

Some applications are processed automatically so receive decisions much quicker. However, consider this the exception rather than the rule. 

Deciding to apply on a whim 

No one who comes to Norway starts thinking about their road to citizenship from the moment they step off the plane. 

And events can suddenly lead to many people deciding they want to become citizens when they had previously ruled it out, such as when dual citizenship was introduced. 

However, after a few years, it might be worth considering whether becoming a Norwegian national is something that will be of interest to you long-term. 

This can help you prepare for the process and ensure you meet all the requirements from when you become eligible, rather than meeting the time requirements and scrambling to meet all the other criteria. 

READ MORE: Are there any ways to fast-track Norwegian citizenship?

Simply put, scrambling around to check off the criteria last minute will increase the odds of a mistake being made and your application being rejected. 

With the process taking so long, ticking off as many requirements as you can early can help you minimise the impact of long-processing times. 

However, you will need to check what can be done in advance of formally submitting your applications because, in some cases, there is nothing you can do but wait, such as meeting the residency requirements. 

Furthermore, when it comes to the police certificate, you should wait until you have an appointment to submit your paperwork, as the certificate can expir.

Not meeting the required residence time 

There are several common reasons why people have their Norwegian citizenship applications rejected. 

One of these is not meeting the residence requirements. The residency period most people will need to have spent in Norway will instead be eight out of the last 11 years if you don’t have a sufficient income.

The sufficient income is around three times the minimum figure from the National Insurance Scheme. As of May 2022, it was 111,477 kroner. Therefore, a sufficient income for applications submitted before May 2023 and after May 2022 would be 334,431 kroner. 

Those with a spouse or partner in Norway can apply after five out of ten years in Norway, provided their combined time living in Norway and in a relationship is more than seven years. Time living abroad can count towards this total. 

Researchers and those with Nordic citizenship are also eligible for citizenship quicker too. 

Other reasons citizenship is rejected are criminal offences without the disqualification period being served. This is in addition to failing to meet the language requirements or passing the Norwegian citizenship and social studies tests. 

READ MORE: Why your Norwegian citizenship application might be rejected and how to avoid it

Having an expired passport 

All the focus on the new Norwegian passport might actually lead to you needing to remember to keep your current passport up to date. 

To qualify for Norwegian citizenship, you will need to present a valid form of identity, such as a passport. 

Expired passports are considered expired, so you will actually see your application knocked back even if everything else is in order. 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

NORWEGIAN CITIZENSHIP

‘It’s not an easy journey’: The challenges of getting Norwegian citizenship

It’s a long road to Norwegian citizenship. Thankfully, The Local’s readers have shared their insights on what to expect from the process and their motivations for applying.

Published: 22 March 2024 13:06 CET
'It's not an easy journey': The challenges of getting Norwegian citizenship

The number of people applying for Norwegian citizenship has increased sharply since Norway allowed dual citizenship in 2020, and application levels have remained high since.

The possibility of taking up Norwegian citizenship without having to relinquish one’s current nationality has led to a significant increase in the number of potential applicants wondering what the process is like.

Thankfully, some of Norway’s newer, or future, citizens recently took the time to fill out a survey that we ran on the process, so a huge thanks to those who participated.

When it came to the reasons for applying in the first place, the reasons were more varied than just the appeal of dual citizenship.

Lindsay, originally from the UK but who has lived in Norway for more than 14 years, said it was partially about restoring some rights lost due to Brexit.

“Following Brexit, I have lost my right to move/work across Europe. I feared that my job would move to Copenhagen, and I wanted to be prepared. I was tired of the long passport queue at Schiphol Airport and endless passport stamping as I travelled home to visit family in the UK,” she responded.

Eduardo, from Mexico, also wanted to secure more rights. In his case, he wanted more flexibility compared to permanent residence.

“To have more rights and be able to live in Norway regardless of the time I spend abroad. With PR (permanent residence), you lose it if you live abroad for more than two years. Citizenship will allow me to accept a job outside of Norway and come back after a few years without problems,” he said.

Others said they saw Norway as their long-term home and that becoming Norwegian felt natural after so many years in the country.

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) got top marks from readers for making the requirements easy to understand.

“The requirements were clear and straightforward. I took language lessons to prepare me specifically for the exams, and I learned the citizenship information off by heart. Documenting my travels in the 14 years since I moved here took a bit more time to collate,” Lindsay wrote.

However, those applying should also be warned that the application can be pretty lengthy, and some found collecting all the paperwork to be quite challenging.

“I cannot say it has been an easy journey, but I am sure it will be worth it. The paperwork, requirements and hoop jumping feel endless at times. And the language and social studies requirements are frustrating,”  said Yvette, who lives in Bergen. 

She added that the social studies and language tests made sense from an integration point of view.

Plenty of others also pointed to the language requirements as one of the more challenging aspects of the application.

“Learning a new language while working full time. The waiting time is bad, but from what I understand, that’s now the norm worldwide,” a reader living in Asker said when asked about the most challenging aspect.

Applicants typically need to pass an oral Norwegian exam at the B1 level, ranked as ‘intermediate’ under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

The Local has spoken to language schools about how long it can take to meet the language requirements with lessons.

Bearing in mind that everyone’s capacity to learn languages is different, the schools said that reaching the required level would take around four and a half months of lessons, or 48 classroom hours, on top of 150 hours of independent practice.

When it comes to waiting times, the median waiting time as of early 2024 was 404 days. However, the directorate’s website estimates waiting times of 24 months on average.

READ ALSO: How long does it take to get Norwegian citizenship in 2024?

The waiting times meant Lindsay lost her job when her employer moved her role out of the country and wasn’t prepared to wait for her application to come through.

“It took me 19 months to get to the top of the pile. I lost my job in the process, as I had feared, my role moved to Copenhagen and my company were not prepared to wait for my citizenship to come through, and I was not prepared to abandon my application,” she said.

The cost of applying was another hurdle mentioned frequently. The application costs 6,500 kroner at the time of writing – however, language courses, social studies and citizenship exams all add to the overall cost.

Thankfully, if the thought of applying suddenly has you feeling overwhelmed, applicants also shared their tips.

“Start learning Norwegian immediately,” Yvette said.

“Take your time and be patient. This isn’t going to happen overnight, and you need to put in the effort,” the reader from Asker responded.

One reader, who has lived in Bergen for 11 years but didn’t leave a name, said being as thorough as possible would help.

“Make sure you have the correct documentation, check and check again. Be organised, rather have more than what is needed and make multiple copies of everything you hand in,” they said.

Meanwhile, Lindsay said that she wished she had applied even sooner.

“Go for it. As a Brit, I believe it makes me more attractive for roles in Norway. I wish I had prepared and applied as soon as the dual citizenship permission was in place,” she said.

SHOW COMMENTS